A former Army Green Beret who was one of three military men pardoned by President Trump says he wants a combat decoration returned that had been awarded to him but later revoked.
Maj. Mathew Golsteyn also is asking the Army to restore the Special Forces tab he received after graduating from the Army’s grueling Special Forces Qualification Course and qualifying as a Green Beret, his lawyer, San Diego-based Phillip Stackhouse confirmed to The Washington Times.
John McHugh, secretary of the Army under President Obama, in 2011 signed off on upgrading Maj. Golsteyn’s medal, a Silver Star, to the Distinguished Service Cross — second only to the Medal of Honor. But the upgrade was revoked while Maj. Golsteyn was being investigated for the slaying the year before of an Afghan man near Forward Operating Base McQuery in Marjah, Afghanistan.
According to the web site Task & Purpose, President Trump told Maj. Golsteyn everything in the record against him would be expunged and he would be entitled to his awarded decorations and skill identifiers “as if this never happened.”
Along with Maj. Golsteyn, President Trump pardoned Army 1st Lt. Clint Lorance, found guilty in 2013 for ordering his men to open fire on three Afghans on a motorcycle, and restored the rank and coveted Trident pin of Navy SEAL Chief Eddie Gallagher, who was acquitted of murder but convicted with the lesser offense of posing with a dead body.
The Pentagon’s handling of the case against Chief Gallagher, who is set to retire at the end of the month, later resulted in the firing of Navy Secretary John Spencer by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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